SFOMK History
Association founded in Copenhagen, Denmark 20 June 1965.
Year, President, Congress venue
1965 – 66 Erik Husted København DK (66)
1966 – 67 Nils Westerholm Aulanko FIN (67)
1967 – 68 Eigil Aas Spåtind NO (68)
1968 – 69 Kjell Wallenius Tylösand SE (69)
joint meeting NL
1969 – 70 Mogens Glahn Randers DK (70)
joint meeting UK
1970 – 71 Erkki Oksala Jyväskylä FIN (71)
1971 – 72 Ole Gilhuus-Moe Spåtind NO (72)
1972 – 73 Kurt Lindgren Saltsjöbaden SE (73)
1973 – 74 Jens Erik Winther Århus DK (74)
1974 – 75 Aarno Sane Vasa FIN (75)
1975 – 77 Olav Hjortdal Nordwijk NL (76)
joint meeting NL
Beitostølen NO (77)
1977 – 78 Holger Thilander Kungälv SE (78)
1978 – 79 Erik Hjørting-Hansen Marienlyst DK (79)
1979 – 80 Valle Oikarinen Esbo FIN (80)
1980 – 82 Per Leikanger Aberdeen UK (81)
Joint meeting UK
Geilo NO (82)
1982 – 83 Gunnar Persson Ronneby SE (83)
1983 – 84 Martin Ritzau Århus DK (84)
1984 – 85 Arvi Tasanen Tammerfors FIN (85)
1985 – 87 Erik Jönsson Tylösand SE (87)
joint meeting UK
1987 – 89 Bjarte Grung Bergen NO (89)
1989 – 90 Erik Hjørting-Hansen Nyborg Strand DK (90)
1990 – 94 Maria Malmström Mariehamn FIN (92)
Røros NO (94)
1994 – 96 Jan Rosenquist Jönköping SE (96)
1996 – 00 Kyösti Oikarinen København DK (98)
Oulo FIN (00)
2000 – 04 Astri J. Ragne Lillehammer NO (02)
2004 - 08 Göran Gynther Visby SE (04)
2008 – 2015 Janicke Liaaen Jensen (NO) Tampere
2015 – 2022 Bodil Lund (SE) Copenhagen
The initiative for the formation of the association was taken by Danish Jørgen Rud. He was very internationally oriented, and had served in the famous Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grin Place in Sussex, particularly famous for its advanced surgery in the Second World War.
There he met Sir Terence Ward who was even more internasjonell and later behind the formation of the International Association of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons, and was its first president. Jørgen Rud was both general secretary and later president of IAOMS.
At the “foundation” 20 June 1965 was Sir Terence and the famous American Robert Shira presence with backing and good advice. Other participants were selected, well-known professors and specialists from all Scandinavian countries. Already the following year, in May 1966, was the first congress held in Copenhagen. The Association had since received good support, with over one hundred members (currently 337 members). It was decided that the congresses should rotate between the Scandinavian countries (in alphabetical order) and held every year. This happened until 1985. Then had supply of international conferences and courses have been so great that we decided to Congress every two years. The congress was often a degree of “local character”, eg. that in Finland it would be autum, but in Norway during winter … This could cause a person to be able to meet their Scandinavian friends in Finland in August and go skiing in Norway already in February, six months later. Many, many good friendships and contacts have been linked in this way – and it is still …
But with the international orientation Association had from the beginning (enshrined in the constitution (stadgarne), was not neglected abroad. Already in 1968, two years after the first congress, it was joined with the Netherlands in the Swedish Tyløsand and in 69 with the British in the Danish
Randers. We even went “on tour”, in 76 to Nordwijk am See in the Netherlands and in 81 to Aberdeen in Scotland. Especially the last was a lavish display of Scottish hospitality, with everything from Haggis to the noble, peat taste end drops, bag pipes, kilt and own salmon fisheries and their own fields the deer to the banquet!
But – of course – the main issue has always been the scientific part of the business. Making a litany of all the themes that through all the years has been on the program, would be completely meaningless, and the thirteenth. Let me just mention that in the first decade, reports etc more dentoalveolært mark, then came to fully and fairly parallel modern fracture, ortognat surgery and implants. By review of the older programs you can clearly see how the exciting developments our specialty has undergone in these 40 years, reflected in current topics and reports. The projector also includes a large number of well-known international speakers and guests. Besides, protocols, letters and similar ærefryktinngivende an insight into the enormous and volunteer work and efforts that lie behind the conference!
A heavy name that should be mentioned in this context, the association’s dynamic Secretary-General through twelve long years, Per-Åke Henrikson from Gothenburg, also known as “Mr. SFOMK “. He has thus had the care of the 11 conferences! A giant effort that he deserves a big and hearty thanks for! Organizational and poetically gifted, multilingual and representative, and with an incredible work – a frontfigur we can be proud of!
In 1990 the association had its first female president; Maria Malmström from Helsinki, and the millennium change in 2000, came the minsann to a (signed). The future will show …
Purely scientific policy association has also been of great importance. Had it not been for SFOMK, had we not had so much knowledge of the conditions in the other Scandinavian countries.
With knowledge of each other’s policies, we have been able to stand together and fronte cardiovascular issues in international context.
Important is also to mention the importance SFOMK have had that debut forum for younger colleagues. We are many who have stood with trembling knees, and presented our first report on a SFOMK Congress. But, in the friendly and reseptive feel that the Council always has within the association, felt the NOK less daunting than it might otherwise have done.
What comes to development, also the language, as well as the presentation form, eventually changed. Many and long discussions have been led over the years about the report’s language to be “Scandinavian” or English. It has now, in our global world as it is called, has become a general opinion that the language will be English, much as it provides a good training for later presentation in inte national context. And there is the old diabildene and in the e-mail and datorpresentasjon … There has been continued, as late as in Lillehammer in 2002, there were still some dias out and went ..
As of this writing, we are facing a new Congress again, accidentally, but very appropriate, in Denmark, where it all began. Remains only to congratulate the association with 40-year anniversary, hope that “life begins at forty”, wish good luck with the future and, on behalf of many, thank you for what it has meant to us.
Oslo May 2006
Astri J Ragne